Kindred Spirit
by hb.writes
Summary: This is the story of Emilia. The youngest of the Gilbert children is attempting to find herself while navigating her teenage years and the death of her parents. As if it wasn't hard enough just being fourteen, she is also dealing with the supernatural baggage that comes with being a resident of Mystic Falls, including the memories that were buried in her mind long ago.
1. Chapter 1

Emilia Gilbert sat in her father's favorite reclining chair by the fire. Curled under an old blanket that had once belonged to her mother's mother, she focused on the book borrowed earlier that day from Mystic Falls' public library. The chair was a faded shade of red, well-worn, and described as uncomfortable by most who sat in it. Despite others' unfavorable assessments, it was still her favorite spot.

Emilia watched curiously over the top edge of her page as her older sister, Elena, came through the front door with the new guy from school, Stefan Salvatore. It had taken all but one day for Elena and Stefan to become an item, but this was the first that she had brought him home to introduce him. Emilia had seen them together around school, but out of an innocent respect for Elena's ex-boyfriend Matt Donovan, someone Emilia still considered like a big brother, she avoided contact. It wasn't that she didn't want Elena to be happy or that there was anything wrong with Stefan, but for as long as Emilia could remember it had been Matty.

"Hi guys! Jer, Emmy, I want you to meet Stefan Salvatore," Elena said to her younger siblings.

"Nice to meet you, man," Jeremy said, putting down his Xbox controller and standing up from his seat on the couch. He held out a hand for Stefan to shake. The initiative shocked Emilia a little. Jer had become relatively indifferent since their parents' death, especially towards their motherly big sister.

The youngest Gilbert set her concentration back to the book in her lap and refused to budge from her spot under Grammy Gilbert's blanket. Emilia didn't look up though she felt both Elena and Stefan's eyes were on her. Jeremy's game started up again, the sound of gunshots filling the living room. Emilia continued to read the same paragraph over and over again, feeling distracted by their presence yet averse to engaging in conversation with them. So, she tried to focus on the words. She had had no trouble focusing on the short story while Jeremy shot at the living dead, but just Stefan and Elena's presence was enough to make the words on the page unreadable.

"When I woke up it seemed to me that some snatch of a tune I had known for a long time, I had heard somewhere before but had forgotten, a melody of great sweetness, was coming back to me now."

"Emilia, did you hear me?" Elena asked, the tightness of her tone compelling her little sister to look up and make eye contact.

"It's fine, Elena, really," Stefan soothed instantaneously when he sensed the tension between the two girls. It was nothing more than a subtle glare between the two.

Stefan's words had an immediate sedative effect on Elena. He turned back to the young girl who was now staring at him straight on from across the room. Stefan registered every detail of Emilia Gilbert's appearance as quickly as possible without causing suspicion. The Gilbert girls looked alike only because they styled their hair in a similar way, long and straight. The similarities stopped there. Emilia had dark blonde hair, with eyes more green than brown, and she stood a few inches shorter than Elena.

"Stefan, meet my little sister Emilia."

Stefan flashed a quick smile before directing his response across the room.

"Emilia was my little sister's name, though we actually called her Mia. You remind me quite a bit of her, actually."

"What happened to her?" Emmy asked, marking her page and looking up to meet Stefan's gaze.

"Emilia," Elena scolded softly.

"It's fine, Elena," Stefan calmly answered for the second time in a matter of minutes before returning his gaze to Emmy, "She died when she was twelve. It was an accident."

The four simple words _'it was an accident'_ settled heavily on the room as Stefan said them. Jeremy stopped shooting in his game, Elena's breath hitched and Emilia stared straight into the fire in front of her. The three Gilbert siblings were silent as Stefan's mind wandered to memories of his younger sister.

"_Miss Mia, get out here and enjoy yourself a little," Katherine called out to the young girl._

_Katherine was out in the back-garden tossing around a ball with Stefan and Damon, while Mia sat on the back-porch steps with a book that she borrowed from one of Mystic Falls' college boys placed open in her lap._

"_I'm reading!" she answered, not bothering to look up._

"_Actually, my dear little sister, you are simply being just dreadfully boring and I do require some assistance from a certain little golden haired darling if I am to win this game."_

_Mia looked up, ready to roll her eyes though both of her brothers despised the act. Damon was already by her side._

"_Damon, you're supposed to be an adult," the girl pouted._

"_And you, my darling, are supposed to be a child. Little sister, you spend far too much time with your books and not enough time having fun. Look where books have gotten Stefan," he answered with a smirk._

_Mia couldn't help but smile up at her eldest brother. He was always teasing Stefan. _

_"I won't have my little sister growing up to be a dull little book worm."_

_Damon took the book from her hands and tossed it to the side, lifting her over his shoulder and out into the garden while Stefan and Katherine laughed._

"_Books are fun! You put me down this instant, Damon Salvatore!"_

"_Dostoyevsky is not fun, dear sister. I will put you down when you agree to have some real fun."_

"_Damon! Stop it!" she squealed as he tickled her and lowered her to the ground where she continued to thrash about._

"_Stefan, help me!" she called out_

"_Only if you're on my team," he answered, pulling Damon off their little sister and tackling him to the ground. She stood up quickly and ran towards where Katherine stood at the far end of the garden._

"_I think not, dear brothers. Sisters before misters. That's what Kat taught me," Mia answered before taking Katherine's hand and running from the boys. It wasn't long before Stefan and Damon had caught up with them. Stefan took his sister into his arms, tickling relentlessly to the sounds of her giggles and protests._

Emilia's quiet voice broke Stefan from his reverie when the stillness of the room became too much for her to handle.

"I am sorry about your sister. It's nice to meet you, Stefan."

"It is very nice to meet you as well, Emilia."

Jeremy had made himself scarce before dinner time, but Emilia had no place to go. The Lockwood siblings, Ashley and Tyler, were at home for a mandatory dinner, something their mother had put together. Matt had a shift at The Grill. Rosalie was having dinner with her boyfriend, Jake. Aunt Jenna was staying at school for the night to work on her thesis.

Emmy sulked in her room for hours while Bonnie, Stefan, and Elena monopolized the kitchen, reluctantly joining them only when Bonnie knocked on her door and begged her to come down. Sitting beside Bonnie and across from Stefan at the table, Emilia stayed quiet while listening to their conversation about Bonnie's family history.

"Emilia, what do you-,"Stefan began.

It was the first time that evening that anyone had spoken to Emmy during the dinner, and Stefan was interrupted by a knocking at the door.

"I wonder who that could be," Elena said as she stood up to answer the door.

Stefan stood up to follow Elena and Emilia looked to Bonnie. Emmy could tell that Bonnie was not a fan of Stefan, but he had seemed pleasant enough to her.

"Well, this is fun" Emmy whispered and Bonnie broke a smile.

"Hey baby Gilbert," Caroline said, kissing Emilia on the cheek as she set a cake down on the table, "We brought some dessert."

"Who's we?" Emilia asked staring at the man who had followed her in.

"Oh, how very rude of me!" Caroline said, "This is Damon Salvatore, Stefan's older, more charming brother. Damon, this is Elena's little baby sister, Emilia."

Damon stared at Emilia for a moment before offering a smile. Or maybe it was more of a smirk. Something in his face didn't seem genuine and Emmy noticed that the smile did not quite reach Damon's blue eyes.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, little Gilbert."

"Same to you. And for future reference, it's Emmy. And with that, this party has become a little too big for me. I'm going for a run," Emilia said while pushing her chair away from the table.

She could sense the tension in the room, between Stefan and Damon, between Elena and Caroline. She felt bad for leaving Bonnie, but Emmy had no desire to stick around for any longer.

"Isn't it a little late for a run?" Elena asked.

Emmy glanced back at the clock on the stove, noting it was 9:17 PM.

"Just to the Grill and back. I'll check in with Matt and Jer and come straight home," Emilia answered.

"It's dark out and you're-."

"I'm what, Lena? It's Mystic Falls, not New York City. I'll be fine."

"She has a point there, Elena. Mystic Falls is _pretty_ safe comparatively," Damon offered.

"See? Thank you, Damon," Emmy answered, "My sister is just mildly overprotective sometimes. I'll text you when I get to the Grill, okay?"

Leaving no room for her to provide further argument, Emmy headed up the stairs to change. Running, which for her was closer to jogging with the occasional walk to catch her breath, was the only thing getting her through the days since the accident.

Jeremy had been taking drugs and drinking.

Elena had been writing in her diary.

Emilia had been running.

She wasn't fast; it pained her lungs and her entire body in the beginning, but after the first full month, she started to feel a release. It didn't hurt that the long, hard runs helped her to fall asleep more easily at night. It also didn't hurt that she had gained a running partner a few weeks in. Most days, she met Tyler somewhere in between his parents' mansion and her house. They always took the same route, which doubled back when they reached the cemetery, insuring that they would meet up someplace along the run if they were both out at the same time.

Tonight, Tyler wasn't waiting for her outside the gates of his house so she continued on her way to the cemetery by herself, taking her time until she heard footsteps catching up behind her.

"Hey Gilbert," Tyler said as he caught up to her.

"Hey Lockwood," Emilia answered, picking up her pace.

"Angry today?" he asked, "I'll bite. I bet my story is better."

Tyler picked up the pace and sped away in front of Emilia, making it necessary for her to sprint in order to catch up.

She punched him in the arm when she caught up with him.

"You're an ass, Tyler. You know I can't go that fast."

"You just did. You're getting better," he answered casually.

Tyler sounded sincere, but he had this stupid cocky grin on his face and Emilia couldn't stand it. It was one trait of Tyler's that she loved to hate. He was a jerk sometimes, but at least he was honest about it.

"How's Vicki?" Emmy asked, changing the subject in a direction that she was sure Tyler wasn't interested in discussing, especially not with her.

"She's currently caught in a very exciting love triangle with your stupid brother and me."

Emilia huffed, "If Vicki liked nice guys this would be no contest because like I said, you're an ass."

"Well, she is with me because she apparently likes unbelievably hot assholes."

Tyler was quiet for a few paces.

"Your brother is a dirt bag."

"Fuck off, Tyler."

"You're a little bit nastier than usual today. What's your deal?"

"Nothing. I got formally introduced to Stefan and Damon Salvatore today," she answered, again steering the conversation.

"Now you want to talk about a couple of assholes," Tyler mused.

"They seemed fine to me."

Tyler didn't answer her. Over the last few months that they had been getting to know each other, he had learned that Emilia always gave more when he held back. He wasn't sure if she just needed time to sort it all out internally or if she hated the silence, but it always worked.

"Elena and Jeremy are driving me nuts lately."

"What did Elena do?" he asked.

"Oh, you know. She's just being herself. Overprotective and motherly, but thankfully Jer causes more trouble than I do."

"Because you're just some perfect little angel?" Tyler laughed as his arm reached out to nudge her.

"Oh, whatever, Tyler," Emmy answered.

"You think I don't know exactly what happened to my father's alcohol stash this summer? I may have taken the fall for it, but that has your name written all over it."

Emilia smirked and ran a little faster.

"You want to race?" Tyler asked pulling ahead of her.

Emilia caught up, but wasn't able to pass. He slowed to a stop in front of the Grill. Emilia headed inside to find Jeremy or Matt while Tyler waited in the square. Matt spotted her while she was standing by the front door looking around.

"Hey Em. You want something? Kitchen closes in 10."

Matt was wiping down a table.

"No thanks. I told psycho sister I would check in here before finishing my run and heading back home. Can you text her for me? Tell her I'll be back in 20 minutes."

Matt looked hesitant.

"C'mon, it's been four months, Matt."

"Yeah, four months that I have spent thinking that she needed space. She is clearly cozying up to Stefan and doesn't need any more space," he answered.

"Fine, fine. I was the best girlfriend's little sister that you ever could have asked for, but fine. I'll ask Jer to do it. Have you seen him around?"

Matt didn't even crack the slightest hint of a smile.

"If you can find Vicki, I'm sure you'll find him."

"Thanks, Matty."

It wasn't long before Emmy spotted Jer at a table that Vicki was clearing.

"Hey," she said, stepping up next to her brother.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Out for a run. They were driving me nuts back home. Just text Lena for me. Let her know I'm on my way back," she answered.

"You're out running alone?" he asked surprised, "It's almost 10:00."

"I'm safe. I've got my reflective gear."

Emmy twirled, showing off the jacket while Jeremy rolled his eyes.

"Fine, just be careful. I'll see you at home. I'm on my way out anyway."

"Thanks, Jer."

She headed back outside to the spot where Tyler was waiting for her on a bench.

"Took you long enough," he said before sprinting away down a side street. Emilia grumbled at the pace, but followed after him regardless.

Tyler Lockwood and Emmy Gilbert weren't supposed to be friends. Jeremy wouldn't like it. Elena wouldn't like it. Ashley would just be jealous if she knew that Em and Tyler actually had meaningful conversations during their runs. Emilia told Tyler more than she told his younger sister and her best friend these days. In the real world, their ages weren't much of a difference, but Emmy understood that in the high school world, their relationship was a little weird.

When she finally caught up to him, Tyler slowed to a more comfortable pace.

"Well your best friend still has a complex about my sister and my brother has a complex about your best friend's sister, so that takes some time to navigate. We should go the back streets though. Jer says he's heading out soon and I'd rather not be seen wandering around Mystic Falls late at night with the likes of you."

"That's funny, Gilbert and who exactly is it you would like to be seen around town with late at night? You seem to get me to tell you all of my girl troubles and I can't seem to get anything out of you."

"That's easy because I don't have any boy troubles."

"Fine. Girl troubles then. I don't discriminate."

"I don't like anyone right now. I have other things to focus on."

"I doubt that. You're fifteen."

"And the boys in Mystic Falls are idiots. Case in point, you and Jer to name a few," she answered confidently, "I'm not interested in any of it. I just want to read my books, get good grades and go to college far, far away from here."

"And, here we are, the nerdy Emilia Samantha Gilbert is back."

"How do you know that?" Emmy snapped.

"Because I will never forget all of the times when you were just a little kid and at each and every one of the town events, you couldn't just sit still and behave. You had to roam and touch things and your Dad would just say your full name, not even yell it, and you would go scurrying back and do what you were supposed to…" Tyler answered, "For about five minutes."

He smirked at her.

"You know, I seem to remember hearing a Tyler Richard Lockwood's name being _yelled_ on several occasions, very loudly. Again, tomorrow night?" she asked as they reached the point where they went their separate ways.

"First off, don't call me that ever again. And we have a game, remember?"

"Right, of course, your new teammate mentioned that tonight at dinner. I'll see you later, Tyler Richard."

"Don't think I won't kick your ass just because you're a girl."

Emilia smirked at him as she ran towards her house.

"Goodnight, Tyler."


	2. Chapter 2

Emmy led Rosalie and Ashley towards the end of the parking lot where Jeremy sat on the bed his friends' pickup truck. They had gotten to the game early, mostly because it was the only thing going on in town tonight.

"We can't go over there. They're a bunch of stoners," Ashley said, purely her older brother's words coming straight out of her mouth.

"Alright, Tyler Jr.," Emmy answered, nudging her friend lightly with her shoulder, "It's just Jer and his friends. You've known him since you were born and those guys are harmless, well, except Carter. Carter is a major creep."

"Don't compare me to my brother!" she complained.

"Well, stop acting like him then," Emilia answered, slightly annoyed with her best friend. She cared for both Tyler and Ashley, but they could both be snobby jerks. It was because of their family's status.

"Seriously, Ashley. Em's right. We've known Jer forever," Rosalie added.

"And he's got the alcohol, so be nice to him," Emmy added with a smile.

"Hey Jer, we have been looking all over for you," Emmy said as she stopped by the tailgate of the truck, Rose and Ashley right behind her.

"Really? You sure you weren't just looking for my friend, Jack?" Jeremy asked handing her the bottle of whiskey.

Emmy took a gulp before smirking at him. So what if he was right? Jeremy had spent the better part of the summer dulling the pain. Emmy felt entitled to a few nights having fun and feeling carefree.

"Very funny, Jer."

She put the bottle to her lips a second time and Jeremy put up a hand to stop her.

"One drink, little sister."

"Since when do you care how many drinks I have?"

"Since you decided to bring your little Lockwood friends along with you," Jeremy said eyeing Ashley and Rose.

"Ok, just because you and Tyler don't get along doesn't mean you have to shun my friends."

"Em, just get out of here before Elena realizes that her perfect little angel of a sister is missing," Jeremy said as he turned her away from him with two firm hands on her shoulders. Emilia didn't budge. This was her plan for the evening and she wasn't going to let her brother deter her from it.

"Oh come on, Gilbert, let the girl drink. Let her have some fun with us. It's a sausage fest over here anyway. C'mon up, Emmy."

It was Jimmy who said the words. He was a senior, the unsaid leader of Jeremy's friend group. Emmy eyed him curiously. He was Jeremy's dealer and had never said more than a few words to her over the course of the last three months. He had sought Jeremy out following their parents' accident, targeting him. Jimmy's mother had died three years before from cancer. Emmy made a face at Jeremy and took Jimmy's outstretched hand as he pulled her up to the truck bed.

"Dude, she's my baby sister. She's barely even fifteen."

"Lighten up, Gilbert. Take a shot with your _baby_ sister and her cute friends. It'll make you feel better. Come on up, girls."

Emilia watched as the other boys helped her friends onto the back of the truck. Rose and Ashley were pretty girls; they always had been and Jeremy's friends were eager to enjoy their presence, even if we were younger. Like Tyler, the girls were tan no matter what the season. Rose's long hair was light brown and Ashley's was more of an auburn shade. The two were cousins, but looked more like sisters.

"Yeah, Jer. Take a shot with me. Loosen up a little. You're starting to remind me of Lena."

Jeremy looked Emmy in the eye and though part of him wanted to be stern and send her away sober, he had to give in. Jeremy flashed his little sister a smile and ruffled her blonde curls, fully knowing that she had spent at least an hour curling them to perfection.

"Jer!" she yelled, swatting his hand away.

"You are a huge pain in my ass, you know that?" he asked, pulling her into his chest with an arm.

"No, but I do know that I'm your favorite sister."

"I don't have favorites. You and Elena both annoy the hell out of me equally."

"Say that again with a straight face this time," she answered.

In truth, Jeremy didn't have a favorite and Em knew that, but she loved to tease and lately, Jeremy did get along with his little sister better. She didn't nag as much. She wasn't always trying to get him to talk about something. Emmy didn't care if he did his homework or skipped class. She just let things be, which was why Jeremy tended to enjoy her company.

"Cheers, Emmy," he answered, forcing his little sister to stop talking and take her shot.

It wasn't long before Jeremy loosened up, happily sipping from the same bottle as his little sister while the group talked. It was the most that they had really hung out since before the summer. Jeremy watched Emilia as she joked around with the group, amazed at how easily she made them all laugh. The girl was experiencing grief so much differently than Jeremy was, differently than Elena was. Jeremy was convinced that Emmy was the only one that was actually handling it in a semi-constructive way. She seemed normal, happy even, on most days.

Out of the corner of her eye, Emilia spotted Tyler talking with Vicki before he glanced in their direction. She heard him call Jeremy's name and then watched Vicki's attempts to stop Tyler with her hand on his shoulder, but it was useless. Tyler was strong and Vicki simply could not have stopped him even if she tried. Tyler paused a few feet in front of Jeremy, but turned his gaze to his sister.

"Ashley, what the hell are you hanging out with these dirt bags for?" he spat.

"Ty-," she started.

"Get off the fucking truck, Ashley. You too, girls."

Emilia stepped off the truck, but not to comply with Tyler's orders. He had no say in what she did. Rose and Ashley were his family, but Emmy could do as she pleased whether Tyler liked it or not. Emmy moved in front of her brother to be closer to Tyler.

"Tyler, shut the hell up and back off. You aren't the boss of us. Don't start something you don't really want to finish."

He stared at Emmy and she stared back, subtly daring him to expose their friendship, daring him to really tell her off or even better, to go easy on her, be nice to her. Either option would likely expose them.

"Ashley, Rosalie- Get out of here, now."

When Ashley and Rose started to back away, Tyler returned his gaze to Jeremy, who had repositioned himself so he stood slightly in front of his little sister.

"Can I help you?" Jeremy asked.

"Yeah, first of all, you should really get Little Gilbert here under control. Teach the kid some manners and respect. And second, you can stop all the frowning and the longing stares. I'll let you have her when I'm finished," Tyler said, nodding his head back in Vicki's direction.

Jeremy's fist collided with the side of Tyler's face. Emmy pushed herself between Tyler and Jeremy. Tyler's comment wasn't kind to her, but she wasn't going to let either of them get hurt in a fight if she could help it.

"Guys, stop it," she said, attempting to push them apart.

Tyler effortlessly removed Emilia from the space between himself and Jeremy, his grip on her arm naturally strong as he pulled her off to the side before giving Jeremy a shove so hard that his back crashed into the open tailgate of the pickup truck. Jeremy tackled Tyler, landing on top of him on the ground. Emmy cringed when she heard the sounds of their repeated fist to face contact and begged the boys to stop. She attempted to hold Tyler's arm back from punching Jeremy's face again.

In the distance, Emmy heard a voice say, "Enough."

It was a moment before Emmy realized that there was an arm wrapped around her waist from behind, pulling her out of the way and another arm that caught Tyler's wrist just as it headed down for another swing. Both arms belonged to Elena's new boyfriend, Stefan. When Tyler turned to face Stefan, he was poised to punch him, but stopped as he made eye contact with Emmy, his facial expression turning from rage to totally flat, though it was clear that he was still seething with anger, and even more so now that Stefan was standing before him.

In another quick motion, Stefan pushed Tyler to the right and put up his hand. Even in her slightly drunken state, Emmy reacted the same when she finally noticed Jeremy advancing towards them with the glass bottle. Putting her arm over her head to protect herself, she buried her face in Stefan's chest. The edge of the bottle hit Stefan's hand first before grazing Emilia's forearm, which she immediately pulled into her chest. The sleeve of her shirt was already soaked with blood when she looked down at it, feeling lightheaded. She heard a high-pitched noise in her ear followed by her vision growing dark.

Emmy came to moments later, still in Stefan's arms though he had lowered her to the ground.

"Are you okay?" Elena asked, cupping Emmy's pale clammy cheek in her hand.

"Too much blood," Em answered, slurring her words slightly.

"Too much whiskey," Stefan answered as he smirked at her.

"No way, I'm the good one! Honor roll, service work. I'm the golden child!" she protested.

"Sorry, but I can smell it on your breath, kid," he answered.

"I'm not a kid," Emmy answered.

"What is wrong with you two?" Elena scolded her younger siblings in frustration, "You're both raging alcoholics."

"Elena, lay off. You're not our mother," Jeremy answered with spite before walking to where Emmy was seated on the ground.

"I'm so sorry Em. That was meant for Dickwood, not you. Do you think she's going to be ok?" he asked turning to Stefan.

"She might need stitches," Stefan answered.

"You're right," Elena answered, "Let's go, Em. Can you walk?"

"I'm fine. Lena, I'm not a baby," Emmy offered as she stood up to walk towards the car, stumbling again.

Jeremy and Stefan both caught an arm, but Jeremy wasn't walking too straight himself.

"I'll carry her to the car," Stefan offered.

"I've got it. She's my sister," Jeremy protested.

"Jer, you're drunker than she is. Just let Stefan do it," Elena argued, "Just go home. We'll be there soon."

Jeremy scoffed, but he turned away and embarked on his walk home. Stefan effortlessly lifted Emmy into his arms, carrying the girl to the car and setting her gently in the backseat.

"You are quite the handful, you know that?" he said as he set her down.

"It's a hard job, but I'm up to the task," she answered, smirking.

Stefan laughed at the girl before shutting the door, recalling that his own little sister had had similar thoughts on the matter.

"She'll be okay, Elena," Stefan offered, pulling Elena into his arms.

"I know. It's just so frustrating. They have both gone nuclear. She never drank before this. Jer didn't either."

"They're what 15 and 16? I'm pretty sure that's normal to experiment. They'll be okay. I have to go, Elena, but I'll check in on you guys later."

"Right, go Timber wolves!" she answered unenthusiastically with a sad smile, "I'm sorry we ruined your big night."

"You didn't. I like your brother and sister. I'm happy to help," Stefan said, kissing her before he left her side, his mind reeling about how it was possible that Emilia Gilbert's blood didn't hold any desire for him, yet even hugging Elena caused his insides to churn. Stefan heard the pulse of the blood through Emilia's veins; he felt the warmth under her skin. But he experienced no craving, no uncontrollable lust to bite into her neck and drain the entire supply of blood from her body. Emilia lay unconscious in his arms blood covering her and he felt nothing except worry and a bit of frustration at the girl for getting herself in this mess to begin with.


	3. Chapter 3

"_Little otter, come down from there." _

_It was a male voice that insisted she come down. She could not see the man who waited for her below, but she did not care. She felt safe hidden in the trees._

"_No, I like it up here and I am not an otter. I want to be a bird and not a little one, but a big bird," Emilia answered assertively. _

_She did not look down, but instead she looked straight out from where she stood several feet above the ground in the nook of a tree. The valley below was beautiful and vast, with the sun setting across the sky in the east. Emilia had never seen anything like it and it made her feel at peace._

"_Little one, come down right now. It is not safe," a different man's voice urged, though she ignored him as well. _

_She climbed higher, despite the voices advising her to come down. She felt herself slip on a wet piece of bark. Panic pulsed through her body until she felt hands on her arm, their hold gentle, but firm._

Jenna shook her niece awake after watching her whimper in her sleep for a few moments. It was not uncommon for Jenna to wake only to find Emmy in a fitful sleep or huddled next to her in the bed that had once belonged to her parents.

"Good afternoon, Miss Aurora," Jenna said.

"Clever," Emilia answered, pulling the alarm clock from her bedside table so she could check the time, "It's not even noon yet, Aunt Jenna."

"Whatever you say, Princess," Jenna answered, their inside 'Sleeping Beauty' joke from years past still alive and well. Emilia loved to nap; she always had.

"I guess you've probably heard about my night so you'll excuse me for getting some extra sleep. It was pretty much the doctor's orders."

"You guess I heard? You mean I got to hear from a terrified Elena how you and your brother were drunk and got into a fight with Tyler Lockwood resulting in you needing stitches?"

Emilia didn't fill the silence.

"Yes, I know about that," Jenna said as she sat down on Emilia's bed, accepting defeat, "I found out about twenty minutes ago matter of fact, because I am officially the worst parental figure ever."

"No you are not. You may have been left with some defective kids, but you are doing great. I'm sorry, I really am, Aunt Jenna."

Em hated to be the one to disappoint Jenna. She was the "cool aunt" and had always been more like a friend to Jeremy, Elena, and Emilia than anything else. Guardianship was hard work and the Gilbert kids weren't the easiest to handle.

"Well, you are certainly grounded, Emilia Gilbert."

"Yes, fine, good. I'm exhausted," Emilia answered before pulling the blankets back up to her head.

"I don't think so. Up and at 'em, princess. You've got chores," Jenna answered pulling the blankets from Emilia's grasp, though she fought it with her good arm.

"Like what?" she asked, showcasing her bandaged arm.

"Proofreading for starters. You're lucky you need to keep those stitches dry because the windows need washing, too," Jenna teased.

She held out a hand to pull her niece out of bed and when Emilia took it, Jenna pulled the girl in for a hug and kissed her forehead.

"I'm glad you're okay, kiddo."

"Aunt Jenna, I'm fine. It's not the first time that Jer has sent me to the hospital."

"That's a good point. And it's also not the first time that your sister has had to take you to the hospital. You two like to worry her. I think she deserves an apology, Emilia."

Emmy groaned. Her sister could be pretty hard to please at times and Emmy felt as though no matter what the circumstance, she and Jer would always find something to screw up in Elena's eyes. Elena and Emilia had a decent relationship for sisters, but they still fought, most often about Elena's motherly instincts towards her and Jeremy and with a higher frequently since their parents had passed away.

Elena looked up at Emilia as she came into the kitchen and grabbed a yogurt from the fridge. Emmy sat down a few seats away from her, watching for a few moments before speaking.

"How mad are you on a scale from 'No big; it happens' to 'I'm revoking your maid of honor status'?" Emmy asked, hoping for a laugh, or at the very least, a smile, from Elena.

Elena frowned at her younger sister.

"Somewhere around 'you ruined my boyfriend's big night, ruined my night and did at least five stupid things that I am extremely unimpressed with including but not limited to getting drunk, getting in the middle of a fight with Tyler and Jer, and putting yourself in serious danger," Elena sighed and returned her attention to her cereal.

Emilia let Elena's monologue set in before responding.

"Well, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ruin your night or Stefan's. And I appreciate that you took care of me. I really do. Can you thank Stefan for me? I honestly don't remember everything, but I remember him being there."

"He pretty much saved your life, Emilia. If you didn't get drunk, you might have remembered that. And you can thank him yourself when he gets here."

Emmy nodded, a bit embarrassed at the thought of facing Stefan so soon.

Elena was being snarky with her sister, but it was better than the silent treatment. When she finished her breakfast, Elena pulled out a box of old trinkets that Emilia recognized as family heirlooms and began polishing. Emmy remembered Elena had mentioned loaning them to the Lockwood's for the heritage exhibit.

"Grandma Beth's wedding ring?" Jenna asked.

"Actually, it's Great Great Grandma Mary's wedding ring," Elena answered.

"And how much do you think all of this crap is worth on Ebay?" Jer asked as he sat down beside Emmy.

"You'll never find out," Elena responded forcefully.

"It's Mom and Dad's stuff, Elena. You can't just give it away," Jeremy answered angrily.

"Sheesh, will you two just relax?" Emmy asked, "I've got a headache."

"Serves you right," Jeremy answered, "You had way too much to drink last night."

"You gave it to me, you idiot!" Emmy responded.

"Alright, alright. You're both idiots and you're both in trouble for it so what does it matter which one's the bigger idiot?" Jenna interrupted as the door rang, "Jer, go get started."

Emmy didn't even care what punishment Jeremy got. Whatever it was, she was pretty sure that she'd gotten off easier. Emmy checked herself over briefly before following Elena to the front door. By the way that Elena had sprung up when she heard the bell, Emmy was pretty sure that it was Stefan. Emmy looked like a mess and she knew it, but she was hung over and Stefan already knew that she would be so it didn't really matter what she looked like.

"Good morning, Emilia," Stefan said when he noticed her standing in the hall. He and Elena were embracing one another and Elena had just greeted him with a kiss.

"Hey Stefan."

Elena cleared her throat when Emmy didn't continue.

"I just wanted to say thanks for taking care of me last night."

"Of course," he answered, "How are you feeling today?"

"Pretty hung over," she answered honestly, "My head is still throbbing."

Stefan chuckled.

"Good. That's good. You'll think twice next time," he offered.

"Perhaps," she answered.

Elena looked anxious to take Stefan upstairs and Emmy took the hint.

"And I am currently grounded for an indefinite amount of time, so if you'll excuse me, I am going to go work my way out of that mess."

Stefan nodded as Emmy motioned to Aunt Jenna and the stacks of papers that covered the living room coffee table. It was clear that Jenna had been working hard on her thesis lately as the length had more than doubled. It was also clear that she had been neglecting grading for the class she was a TA for. Emmy started proof-reading the thesis pages in front of her. It wasn't the first time she had been grounded that summer and forced into proof-reading. She was good at it and reading didn't feel much like grounding, so she did not particularly mind. Over an hour passed before Emmy spoke.

"So this grounding thing, how long were you planning on making it last?" she questioned, setting down the papers on her lap.

"It's barely been an hour and you're trying to get away from me already?" Jenna sighed dramatically, "Can't a woman ground her niece and at least get two full hours of bonding time out of the deal?"

"I'm not trying to get away from you. I just need clarification. Like, can I go for my run later and can I still go to the Founder's Party?"

Jenna rolled her eyes and finally landed a smile at Emmy.

"Help me through the end of Chapter 4 and you are free, my dear."

"Thanks, Jenna."

Emmy stayed downstairs long enough to enjoy lunch with Jenna and then headed back up to her room. She grabbed her phone off the bedside table. Three messages from Ashley, two from Rose and that was it. She sent a text to Tyler – _Are we on good enough terms for a run later?_ He didn't respond, but Emilia got dressed for her run anyway. Tyler would get over it eventually. She knew he had to, but this was the first time she had seen him that mad, at least up close like she had been.

Emmy made it to the Lockwood mansion and Tyler was no place in sight so she continued on, running faster because she was angry with him for not meeting her or texting her back. She was the one with the right to be angry, not him. She turned the corner into the cemetery, preparing for a long run around the pond and through to the picnic area even further out.

"Gilbert," she heard Tyler gruffly call her name and she stopped. He was seated on one of the sturdier looking grave stones with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Thanks for texting me back," she said as she walked over to him, trying to match his tone.

"I'm here, aren't I?" he answered with a smile as if that made everything okay. Emilia frowned at him.

"Tyler, what the hell happened last night? What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that your brother is a dick and needed to be taught a lesson."

"God, Tyler, you can't be that ridiculous. He didn't do anything to you last night. We were minding our own business and you are the one being a dick here, not Jer," she argued, pushing him on the shoulder.

Tyler grabbed her wrist and held her arm at a distance.

"Do not push me, Gilbert," he answered, "And you weren't any sort of angel last night, so don't pretend. You're hanging around with a bunch of stoners, drinking and bringing Ash and Rose around them. Plus, all those looks you were giving Jimmy last night. You have got to be kidding me."

"First of all, let go of me."

Emmy stared at Tyler until he finally dropped her arm. She resisted the urge to rub at the spot where he had held her.

"Second of all, I wasn't giving Jimmy any looks. I was hanging out with my brother and he happened to be there. Not that it is any of your business who I give looks to."

Tyler scoffed and raised his eyebrows as if that surprised him, which only served to make Emmy angrier. Tyler felt like he was entitled to some sort of opinion though she fervently disagreed.

"Since when exactly do you actually care at all what Ashley and Rosalie do? Since when do you care what I do?"

"Damn it, Em. I've always cared about you three. You know that."

She didn't respond right away. Emmy had known Tyler Lockwood just about as long as she could remember. She had spent summers running around the Lockwood mansion and the lawns, being yelled at by Mayor and Mrs. Lockwood for making too much noise and getting too dirty. She had been told to "beat it" countless times by Tyler and Matt when she tried to play with them if Ashley and Rose were being boring. And Tyler did care. Emmy knew that. He may have been a jerk at times, but when a seven-year-old Emmy fell out of the tree and sprained her ankle, he had been the one to carry her back to the house. And when thirteen-year-old Emmy bumped into the table holding a very, very expensive vase that had been in the family for years, Tyler took the fall. And for the last three months, Tyler had run with Emmy almost every single day. They didn't always talk during their runs and it didn't seem like much, but he was always there. Tyler had helped Emmy through much more than he knew as they ran, silent aside from their labored breathing in and out.

"It doesn't matter if you care about me. Fine, you can tell Rose and Ashley what to do, but not me. You have absolutely no right to tell me what to do, who to spend time with or who to 'give looks to' as you want to put it. We aren't even friends, Tyler. If Stefan wasn't there to stop it, you or Jer would've seriously hurt yourselves or me. I would have needed more than just a few stitches."

Tyler's eyes moved to the bandages on her arm and then back to Emmy's eyes. He was somewhere between sorry and pissed off after she stopped talking.

"I wouldn't have hurt you. You know that."

"Not on purpose, Ty, but you're scary when you're angry and that anger was being directed at me and my brother, who I care for quite a bit."

"I wasn't angry with you, Em."

"I know Tyler, but this is all so stupid. The whole thing is so messed up and you're being a complete and total idiot about it. Jeremy didn't do anything to you and you know what? He's right anyway. You treat Vicki like complete and total shit. She deserves better. You're always pushing her around the same way you try to push me around. It's not like you have any sort of authority to. You are a bully, Tyler. Deep down, I want to believe that you care, but it's hard when you act like this."

Tyler didn't answer her and it wasn't because he was looking for Emmy to fill the silence or give him anything more. He had heard enough.

"Bye Tyler."

Emilia ran away from him without another word, continuing on the long trail she had intended to take before she ran into Tyler. She was relieved that he didn't follow her. She needed the alone time. Running usually created a sense of calm in her, but today, she felt beyond riled up when she flopped down on her bed to go to sleep.

Glancing at her phone, she saw Tyler's text message, giving him the last word and playing it off like it was nothing.

_Let me know when you're done having a temper tantrum. ;)_


End file.
